Mustache Bash {Liam turned 1}

Its been almost three weeks since we celebrated Liam's first birthday. We had a "small" dinner with Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, which is small for most families, it was 16 for us and that isn't everyone. To make things easier we did a pasta bar. We put out three types of pasta, three types of sauces, two toppings, salad fixings and homemade bread with a dipping oil for dinner and we had two desserts, cupcakes and chocolate pavlova. I made a couple of cute menus to go along with and called it a day. Easy right?

My menus looked like:

I grabbed a couple of snap shots of the food with my parent's camera since mine was dead and we were saving it for shot of the birthday boy and his "smash" cupcake. I'll try to update the post when I get those from them. But for now all I have is dessert shots. We didn't really decorate beyond that, we just used white serving dishes and mason jars. In fact any decor we used was just left out from our Family Cookout two weeks prior. Good timing huh? 

Vanilla Confetti Cupcakes with Swiss Buttercream and Chocolate mustaches. I bought my mold at Bake It Pretty. 

Chocolate Pavlova with whipped cream and strawberries. 

I know my husband took some pictures and/or a video with the camera with barely a charge but they have disappeared into oblivion. I've searched the entire computer and they are gone and I wiped the memory stick after I uploaded them. I don't know what I was thinking?!!? The one time I try to be efficient it backfires. Oh well, we have out pics from our phones

and the shots I put on Instagram and the pictures my sister put on there as well. 

Spicy Peanut Noodles {A lunch time favorite}

I needed comfort food today. I was making up for the lack of it yesterday, when I needed it most. Yesterday, no one and nothing would go along with the plan I laid out for the day. And just when I was about to explode, on the interstate with the Mr. and the boys our Jeep went comatose. There we were stranded in 80+ degree weather on the side of the interstate in rush hour traffic. Luckily my in laws came to our rescue and brought the boys and me home while the hubs waited for a tow truck. It could have been much worse so I am thankful, very thankful that it wasn't but I was/am stressed!!! So umm... Yeah, that happened but now back to the food. I don't crave your "typical" southern style comfort food when I'm stressed. While I love biscuits and fried chicken like any true southerner for me comfort food (other than mashed potatoes) includes soy sauce and rice vinegar. My quick and easy favorite is this spicy peanut noodle meal. I used to have this for lunch at least once a week but lately I've been juicing for lunch or eating raw fruit and veg. I've missed these noodles.

*This is not a true recipe because I never make them the same way twice. Adjust the ingredients to you're taste. I have also been known to through in left over veggies from the previous night.*

Spicy Peanut Noodles

For 2 people I use approximately

1/3 of a box of spaghetti noodles

2-3 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup peanut butter

1-2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or lemon juice

1/8 cup honey

Sriracha

1 raw carrot, grated

a small handful of peanuts chopped

Sriracha

Boil your pasta as you normally would. In a bowl whisk together soy sauce and peanut butter. Until well combined. Then add in your vinegar and honey. Taste to make sure you don't need more of something. Add a few drops of Sriracha, then stir and taste again.  Once pasta is done, drain and toss with your sauce. It should just coat your pasta, you don't want it swimming in sauce. Once coated stir in the carrot, the heat from the pasta will soften the carrots slightly yet still leave a crunch.  Portion into two bowls. Top with peanuts and add a few drops of Sriracha. Enjoy while warm. 

Roasted Tomato Marinara

Things have been bonkers around here lately, hence my absence. And to top it off every single one of us being sick twice now and I have pulled a muscle or pinched something in my back. So I look like Igor right now. booooooo! I finally have a post ready and it is one I've been dying to share but we always eat and forget to photograph. This marinara is a favorite around here. I recently made it in mass quantity for a family get together for around 30 people and it was gone before I knew it. My husband was late because of work and didn't get any because it was gone, good thing my Mom also made Alfredo and there was enough for one plate. I guess we know what we're doing in the kitchen or at least our family seems to think so. This dinner takes a bit of time but is so ridiculously easy that it is the perfect thing for a lazy Sunday afternoon. This last batch of sauce made two meals, the first with spaghetti squash the other with traditional spaghetti noodles. If you haven't had spaghetti squash you should try it, it is a healthy, vegan, gluten free alternative to pasta. I still love traditional pasta, in fact that is what I'm showing it my sauce with in this post, and we will continue to eat it on occasion. However, I feel that making the change to spaghetti squash is a great way to keep us healthy and getting more veg into my picky little eater.

This marinara takes a bit of time between roasting in the oven then stewing on the stove top but it is very low maintenance and super easy. You can easily tweak it to fit your own palate. Depending on the natural sweetness of the tomato, onion or garlic spends on how much of the canned tomato I add later into the cooking. Depending on what I'm craving depends on the amount of basil I use. I prefer it meat free but you can easily brown some ground beef or ground turkey and add to the sauce. Just a tip for those of you who are skeptical of the flavor of the turkey, add a splash of beef stock to the sauce and you will not be able to tell the difference  I did that several times before I told my husband that he wasn't eating beef and he never knew. I use that poor guy as a guinea pig so often and he never complains. Guess I'm just lucky like that.

For the marinara:
(serves 4-6)
6 Roma tomatoes, quartered
2 yellow onions, cut into eighths
1 medium to large head of garlic, whole with the skin on
1 to 2 14 oz cans of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
5(ish) basil leaved finely chopped
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil add your prepared veggies and roast for 20 to 30 minutes. Your onions will be charred and that is good, do not panic. Once they come out of the oven, cut the bottom off the garlic and squeeze the garlic "meat" out into the blender and puree the veggies in a blender add to a sauce pan and simmer on medium  Add your canned tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste then add your basil simmer a few minutes more. Toss with your pasta top with some shredded Parmesan and a bit more fresh basil.
Enjoy!